Pending Public Safety Legislation on Governor’s Desk

A bill authored by State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson to create an opt-out emergency alert system passed the Senate and now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. Senate Bill 821 would give California counties the option of automatically enrolling every resident in a targeted emergency notification program, while preserving residents’ ability to opt out of receiving alerts. Many of the state’s public warning systems require residents to sign up before they receive critical cell phone and email alerts.